The particles and dust from the wood shavings could be causing respiratory difficulties in the kittens. If it is possible, you should take the kittens into a veterinarian for a check-up immediately. If not, I would at least recommend moving the mother and kittens to another location away from the dust and shavings. Unfortunately, once very young kittens start to do poorly, it is very critical and often challenging to get them back to good health again. They have very little reserves and can go into a serious, life threatening state with even mild disturbances.    « less

Usually, no, there are no serious side effects of having two vaccinations. After all, the kittens are getting 3 or 4 of the FVRCP vaccinations in a very short period of time for their kitten series without any problems. Vaccinations, however, are not without their risks. Some animals can have severe reactions to some or all vaccinations such as a life threatening allergic reaction. The other concern with over- vaccination of cats is the possibility of developing a cancer at the injection site at some point in the future. However, this is only in a very small percentage of cats and the research is not 100% conclusive that the vaccinations were the cause of the tumors. Because of this possible risk, there has been a recent shift by some veterinarians to change their vaccination protocols of cats to a 3 year vaccination rather than a 1 year vaccination.    « less

This definitely is not normal and should be examined by a doctor. A "popping" sound in a joint can indicate a problem with the ligaments holding the joint together or a problem where the ball and socket of the joint do not fit together properly causing a looseness or laxity in the joint which makes it pop in and out of place as it moves through its range of motion. This instability causes a lot of trauma to the joint surfaces and over time can cause severe arthritis (similar to hip dysplasia in large breed dogs). Having the joint examined by a doctor along with an x-ray of the area is the best start toward a diagnosis and appropriate treatment.   « less

YES! Most of the time it is something that happens in younger dogs and puppies that they eventually out-grow and is not any more concerning than hiccups in people. However, persistent hiccups in an older dog, however, can rarely indicate a problem with the central nervous system or can be caused by certain types of cancer in the neck or chest.    « less

There are a few possible explanations for what you may be seeing. He may be trying to mark his territory. He may be urinating small amounts as he dances around the tree which is marking the tree with his scent to inform other dogs that he has been there. Some dogs also like to make a big display when they go to the bathroom - some will scratch up the dirt and grass by kicking out with their back legs which is also a way of marking their territory. Another possibility for the "dancing around" is a knee problem common in small dogs called a luxating patella (or a trick knee). The knee-cap will pop out of place occasionally when they are walking making it difficult for them to straighten their legs which causes them to walk funny and hop or dance around until they are able to maneuver the knee-cap back into place. Sometimes this condition requires surgery to correct if it is severe enough.    « less

Who knows what kind of life this poor young cat had before he was fortunate enough to find you. He may have had some very terrible experiences which have shaped his personality to become a skittish and nervous cat. The key to getting him to relax and adjust to his newfound home is routine. If he knows exactly what to expect every day and things happen the same way every day, he will start to realize that there are no surprises and nothing to fear. If he does not want to enter a certain room in the house, do not force him, there may be something about those rooms that reminds him of a scary place in his past. You may eventually be able to get him to go into those rooms, but try not to press the issue and let him work at his own pace. In the worst cases, there are behavioral medications to alleviate anxieties in pets, but they are usually reserved as a last ditch effort in pets who are actively injuring themselves or the household.    « less

There are a couple of reasons why your cat may be doing this. It could be a medical issue - for instance, it could be a variant of pica (a desire to consume abnormal things). Pica can be a result of many things such as anemia (low blood count), Feline Leukemia Virus, gastrointestinal disease and hyperthyroidism to name a few. It could be a nutritional issue - for instance, he may be craving the salt on the rocks because of a deficiency in his diet. Or it may be behavioral - a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Of course there is also always the possibility that something yummy was on the rocks and he just wanted a taste.   « less

Allergies in pets are tough to treat and frustrating for owners and veterinarians alike. Very rarely are dogs “cured” of their allergies for life, and in fact, often their allergies tend to get more severe with age and consequently, more difficult to manage (not to mention, expensive). The first step in managing allergies is to see if you can figure out what they are allergic to and whether that allergen can be removed from the dog’s life to prevent the allergic reaction. In general, there are three basic things dogs can have allergies to – Fleas, Food or Environment. 1) Flea Allergies – These are some of the most severe allergies and also probably the most preventable. When a dog has a flea allergy, he will usually be scratching on the top of his back and tail. Oftentimes, you will find fleas or flea-dirt (small black specks of flea feces) in your dog’s coat, but not always. When dogs have a flea allergy, it takes only one or two fleabites for them to break out in an itchy, red rash. Many times, they develop hot-spots which are painful, red, moist infected areas of skin where they have chewed the hair away. Flea allergies are simply prevented by keeping fleas away from your pet. The most effective way to do this is by keeping your pet on monthly topical flea medication all year round. 2) Food Allergies – When dogs have food allergies, you may see itching around the face, chewing at the feet and underbelly, and chronic ear infections. Dogs can develop allergies to foods even if they have been eating the same food their whole lives. The most common things dogs develop food allergies to is the protein in the diet (i.e. Beef, Chicken, Pork, etc), although grain allergies (i.e. corn and wheat) are also seen. In order to determine if your dog has a food allergy, a special feeding trial has to be done called an elimination diet trial. This test takes 2 months to complete and during the test, the dog is fed a hypoallergenic or novel protein diet (with a protein source they have not been exposed to before – examples include rabbit, venison or salmon). During these two months, they cannot eat anything else including other foods, treats, supplements or even flavored medications. At the end of the two months, the old diet is fed back to the dog. Ideally what you would see is a complete remission in the allergies while the dog was on the hypoallergenic diet with a severe return of the allergies when the old diet was re-introduced. After a food allergy is confirmed, the treatment is simple – figure out what is in the food that is making the dog react and avoid it! 3) Environmental Allergies – These allergies can cause itching and redness under the armpits and in the groin area, chewing at the feet and itching around the face and ears. Environmental allergies are by far the most difficult to control and the most frustrating to treat. They tend to be seasonal with most dogs having symptoms during Spring, Summer, or Fall and having very few to no symptoms during Winter. There are two tests to see what your dog is allergic to – one is a blood test that can be performed at most veterinary clinics, the other is a skin test performed at a veterinary dermatologist. Sometimes the offending allergen can be identified and removed (for instance, my own dog was found to be allergic to cedar and was sleeping every night on a cedar-chip bed). Treatment options for environmental allergies include topical therapies (i.e. medicated shampoos and conditioners, anti-itch sprays), fatty acid supplements, antihistamines, allergy shots (similar to people), steroids and cyclosporine. Steroid injections are very effective at controlling the itching, however they come with some serious side effects, particularly if they are given frequently throughout the dog’s life. In general, it is best to avoid using them and opt for the other treatments whenever possible to prevent these chronic problems. However, often dogs with severe allergies respond to nothing else and steroids are the best option available aside from moving out of allergy-ridden Southern California.    « less

Vaccination requirements differ based on your individual cat's risk factors. For instance, indoor cats and indoor- outdoor cats do not generally receive the same vaccinations because outdoor cats have a higher risk of contracting contagious diseases than cats that never go outside. Vaccinations are given to help prevent some serious, life threatening diseases, however, they are not always harmless. Rarely, some pets can have adverse reactions to vaccinations varying from a simple soreness or swelling at the site to severe anaphylactic allergic reactions. In addition, recently, specifically in cats, abnormal cancerous growths have been seen which developed at the same site as prior vaccinations had been given (vaccination associated fibrosarcomas). Because of this recent development, most hospitals are recommending fewer vaccinations for cats than previously recommended. In addition, feline vaccines are given in very specific sites low down on the legs to track the development of these growths. Although these adverse reactions sound scary, they are also thankfully very rare. The risk of your cat developing the contagious disease is far more likely than the risk of developing an adverse vaccination reaction. You should discuss all of your concerns with your veterinarian to decide which vaccinations are most appropriate for your individual cat. Following are the recommendations from the American Animal Hospital Association for the most common feline vaccinations. 1) FVRCP - Also called the Feline distemper vaccination. This vaccination is recommended for ALL cats and is usually given every 3 years (following the routine kitten boosters). 2) Rabies - This virus poses a human health risk and, as such, is also recommended for ALL cats. It is given every 3 years in adult cats. 3) FeLV - Feline Leukemia Virus is a severe virus which can cause the development of cancer in cats. This virus is extremely contagious between cats. It is recommended for cats that have a potential risk (such as indoor-outdoor cats) and is usually given every 1 year. There are other vaccinations for cats which you should discuss with your individual veterinarian to decide together whether your cat has enough risk factors which makes those vaccinations necessary. An alternative to vaccination is a vaccination blood titer. This is a blood test which will tell you whether your pet has a protective level of antibodies in the blood against the virus. These blood tests are much more expensive than the vaccinations and there is still some question about whether the results truly correlate with protection against the virus. In other words, just because the cat has a high vaccination titer does not guarantee the cat is protected against the virus and may leave you with a false sense of security and leave your cat vulnerable and unprotected.    « less

It depends on the strength or dose of the tablet consumed. Morphine is a controlled opioid drug which is primarily used for pain relief in people and animals. Potential side effects of ingesting a pill are variable and dosage dependant. Possible effects include mild lethargy, nausea, vomiting, miosis (pinpoint pupils), decreased temperature and depression. Severe overdoses can cause seizures, severe respiratory depression, collapse and death. Accidental toxin ingestions are common in puppies because they love to pick up anything and everything off the ground. We often carry around food and pieces will sometimes fall onto the ground which the puppy is used to picking up and eating. Therefore, when someone is getting ready to take their morning medication and accidentally drops the tablet, the dog sees this as his usual opportunity to grab something yummy. In general it is a good idea to teach your dog not to pick up this bad habit. Practicing a command such as "Leave It" on a daily basis (with safe items such as food and treats) is a good way to teach him that just because it falls onto the ground does NOT mean it is fair game.   « less